An essay on the war on drugs

April 11, 2011
Drug Prohibition Essay
Sean Martin
   Drugs have been used for thousands of years, and have been prohibited for less than 1% of that time. The current War on Drugs has had horrible effects on society economically and socially. The drug prohibition efforts have had little impact on the supply of illicit drugs and have had no success in diminishing the demand. The drug prohibition era, which is powered by propaganda and corruption, needs to end for the better of society. Rather than spending trillions and incarcerating millions for a failed drug war we should be regulating the supply of drugs and providing treatment for those who want it. Legalizing drugs would lower abuse and deaths from illicit substances and have a significant positive impact economically.
   While the concept of prohibiting drugs is generally new, drugs have remained illegal for most of modern society. Congress passed the Volstead Act in 1919, enforcing the eighteenth amendment which was repealed in 1933. The eighteenth amendment prohibited the “...manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States.” With the creation of alcohol prohibition, organized crime dramatically increased. Bootleggers sold alcohol, despite it's illicit status, by profiting from inflated prices on the black market. Homicide rates had a positive correlation with the rising prison population caused by prohibition. While alcohol consumption initially decreased ten to twenty percent, this short-term effect does not outweigh the violence associated with prohibition alone. Over a decade later, in 1937, a legislation named the Marijuana Tax Act became law, which prohibited cultivation, distribution, and possession of cannabis. This act included industrial hemp; a non-psychoactive strain of the plant with thousands of commercial uses. Political connections between lawmakers and DuPont influenced the bill into law. The main competitor of DuPont's synthetic fibers and plastics was hemp; which was abundant during this period. To change the public's view of this common plant the government called it marihuana in news articles and propaganda. One journalist, William Randolph Hearst, stated “Marihuana makes fiends of boys in thirty days...the deadly, dreadful poison that racks and tears not only the body, but the very heart and soul of every human being....Smoke marihuana cigarettes for a month and what was once your brain will be nothing but a storehouse of horrid specters” (Hearst). Though not validated by science, these fear tactics used peoples emotions to persuade their opinion on the matter. Mainstream propaganda had a large enough impact to induce the society with a prolonged fear of marijuana. Under the Nixon administration, the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 reestablished federal drug laws and expanded official's enforcement power greatly. These policies soon originated what is now known as the War on Drugs.
   Drug prohibition may seem like a logical solution to a country with drug problems, however prohibition does not diminish the demand or supply of drugs effectively, it creates a multi-billion dollar black market. Currently, Mexican cartels are supplying seventy percent of the United States narcotics. Over recent years, drug related violence has exponentially increased causing alarmingly high homicide rates. The death toll in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico stood at 3,111 civilian fatalities in 2010. Contrastingly, Afghanistan experienced 2,421 deaths the same year. Drug cartels will continue meeting the demand of drugs by Americans until an alternative is sought. Legalization of drugs would move this into a legal market (effectively ceasing the violence associated with black market narcotics) in which drugs can be controlled and regulated. In a legal market, disputes may be resolved in a legal manner rather than through violence conducted by organized crime. Billionaire drug lord Joaquín Guzmán asserted “The War on Drugs is the greatest thing that ever happened to me, and the day they decide to end that war, will be a sad one for me and all of my closest friends.” Guzmán concluded, “And if you don't believe me, ask those guys whose heads showed up in the ice chests," (Guzmán).
   The concept of controlling what humans can do with their own bodies is a fundamental issue with the drug policies that many believe are unconstitutional and unethical. Modern society generally has a negative outlook upon illicit drug users, although, ironically, legal drug are more accepted solely based on their legal status. Individuals should have the choice to do what they want with their body and mind, as they should be held accountable for any actions made to others while using a mind altering substance. Andrew Weil, who is an American author and physician, argued that "The use of drugs to alter consciousness is nothing new. It has been a feature of human life in all places on the earth and all ages of history...there is no evidence that a greater percentage of Americans are taking drugs, only that younger Americans are coming to prefer illegal drugs like marijuana and hallucinogens to alcohol,” (Weil 17). Weil emphasizes that there is nothing inherently wrong with drug use, as mankind, along with other species, have used intoxicating substances throughout history.
   While the legalization of drugs would provide users a safer environment, it would ultimately decrease drug use. It is evident in The Netherlands, where cannabis can be purchased in coffee shops legally. Forty percent of Americans have used marijuana at least once during their life, while only twenty percent of Dutch have used marijuana, in spite of it's legality and availability. The Dutch subsequently have lower rates of hard drug use in comparison to America. The Dutch, however, are not the only developed country to establish 'relaxed' drug laws. In 2001, Portugal successfully reclined drug usage, HIV infections, and drug related deaths by decriminalizing all drugs. While drug use by minors among Europe is increasing, Portugal significantly lowered drug use by minors over the last five years. In 2001 twenty six percent of tenth, eleventh, or twelfth graders had used cannabis at least once. Four percent have used cocaine and four percent have used amphetamines. However, in 2006, nineteen percent of minors used cannabis, and just two percent used cocaine or amphetamines. The results from this legislation indicate the legalization of drugs will have positive effects by diminishing usage prevalence rates among minors.